Strip handling apparatus



Aug. 12, 1969 J. 1.. WEBB 3,460,549

STRIP HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATT R EY! INVENTGR Joseph L. Webb fi .P m l Q0 NQ/P P m X I 1 W Eq 4 w 2. E. m

l2, J WE STRIP HANDLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6. 1966 LHJ FIG. 4.

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United States Patent 3,460,549 STRIP HANDLING APPARATUS Joseph Leroy Webb, Scott Township, Allegheny County,

Pa., assignor to Swindell-Dressler Company, a DIVI- sion of Pullman Incorporated, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Filed May 6, 1966, Ser. No. 548,242 Int. Cl. B08b 3/10, 3/00 US. Cl. 134--64 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for handling strip material. The strip is coiled and uncoiled in a horizontal disposition, and between the coiling and uncoiling position a treatment chamber is positioned. The strip is twisted to a vertical disposition for passage through the chamber and is then relaid to the horizontal disposition for winding upon the coilmg means.

The present invention relates to an improved means for intermittently or continuously handling strip material and more particularly to means for removing scale from metal strip or otherwise treating strip material without incurring damage to the strip material as a result of unintentioned attack by chemical reagents or the like.

The use of strong pickling agents, for example the strong mineral acids such as sulfuric, hydrochloric and hydrofluoric, for removing scale from steel strip or the like, has been known for many years. conventionally, the strip is conducted from a pay-out coil through pinch, straightener, welder, and loop control rolls or the like to a pickling chamber of the apparatus. The pickling appararatus usually includes a number of in-line horizontal acid tanks in which the strip is immersed while conducted in a generally horizontal path therethrough, and the acid is flowed countercurrently through the tanks relative to the direction of strip movement. After exiting the last pickling tank, the strip is fed through loop control and pinch rolls to a shear and side trimmer arrangement and thence to the receiving coil.

A conventional pickling line arranged in this fashion must of necessity occupy a considerable floor area, as each acid tank is of the order of 90 feet in length and usually at least four of such tanks must be employed. With the aforementioned auxiliary equipment and apparatus associated with the pickling line, a total pickling line length of 500 feet or more is required. A further disadvantage of this arrangement, moreover, is the impossibility of terminating strip movement relative to the pickling tanks, as the strip is immersed in the strong acid therein, wtihout the use of lifting apparatus or he like for raising the strip from each tank to prevent acid eatout. The conventional arrangement not only necessitates duplication of tanks and the last-mentioned lifting apparatus at each of the tanks, but in addition the horizontal disposition of the strip delays acid run-off on the top side of the strip and thus incurs the risk of a certain amount of undesirable acid etching.

In a more recently developed process, an acid spray tower of about 250 feet in height has been substituted for the aforedescribed acid dip or pickling tanks. Though the spray tower, the strip to be descaled is passed while being sprayed with the pickling agent. Although the latter arrangement has the effect of reducing the required floor space for the pickling line, it involves considerable first cost and subsequent maintenance owing to the extreme height for the spray tower and to the fact that the extensive internal surfaces of the spray tower must be protected in some manner from the strongly corrosive effects of the acid spray. Moreover, it is not practical to terminate strip movement when desired through the spray tower inasmuch as the run-off time of the acid is considerably pro tracted even though the strip run is in a vertical or nearly vertical position. This follows, obviously, from the eX- treme required height of the spray tower and the attendant length of the strip run or runs supported therein.

The subject invention overcomes these problems encountered in the use of conventional pickling apparatus, by up-ending or twisting the strip from its normal disposition in a horizontal plane along a horizontal path through the entrance position of the apparatus, so that the strip face lies in a vertical plane. The strip then is passed, while in this disposition, along a tortuous, generally horizontal path through a spray chamber. With this arrangement, a single horizontally disposed spray chamber or tank can be employed, and thus, the unusually heav expense of constructing a number of acid dip tanks and strip lifting apparatus, or the aforementioned spray tower i avoided. Moreover, movement of the strip through the spray tank can be terminated without danger of acid eat-out or attack by other strong treatment reagents inasmuch as the acid run-off time is so short as to be negligible, since the acid run-off is limited to the width of the strip in the transverse direction of strip movement rather than running a protracted distance along an extended generally vertically supported run of the strip in the path of strip movement, as in the case of the spray towers.

While in the aforementioned spray tank the strip is reversed or doubled back on itself one or more times so that the strip moves through the spray tank preferably in a multiplicity of passes to form a generally serpentine path through the tank. Each pass of the strip through the tank desirably is sprayed simultaneously on both sides with pickling agent so that in effect a large surface area on both sides of the strip is treated within the tank. As a result, the length of the spray tank or chamber can be considerably shortened and the necessary floor area occupied thereby is attendantly reduced in comparison with the conventional multiple tank arrangement. The strip passes within the tank are, of course, supported above a collecting pool of pickling agent within the bottom portion of the tank such that when strip movement is terminated together with the acid sprays, the strip, although motionless within the tank, is quickly freed of the pickling agent to prevent undesirable etching of the strip during the interval it is maintained motionless within the tank. The resulting pickling line, with the use of only one pickling chamber, results in a pickling line which is much shorter and much less expensive to construct and to house in com parison with conventional pickling lines. Moreover, the pickling line, while the strip is maintained in a vertical plane can be readily guided, either at an angle to the initial or entrance portion of the pickling line, to place the pickling tank in a separate building for example, or alternatively can be doubled back upon itself to further conserve floor space as described in detail below.

While in the spray tank forming part of the disclosed apparatus it is contemplated that individual passes of the strip therein can be treated with acid or other reagent sprays of relatively differing concentrations as determined by pickling or other treatment requirements. As a result of the multiplicity of passes of the strip through the spray tank, however, the tank itself can be constructed with a length considerably shorter than a given one of the aforementioned conventional acid tanks. After leaving the spray tank, the strip desirably is again twisted or re-laid to its horizontal disposition and conducted through conventional loop control and pinch rolls to shearing and side trimming apparatus and thence to coiling apparatus. Before relaying, however, the strip is conducted desirably through rinsing and drying apparatus, and at this location, for example, the strip can be guided in its vertical disposition to turn or double back the strip on itself or otherwise guide it to a different location within or without the building housing the treatment line.

The aforementioned desirable results are accomplished in accordance with the invention, by passing the strip to be descaled or pickled through conventional strip handling rolls or the like, twisting or up-ending the strip for movement in a vertical plane thereof through a treatment chamber, reversing the path of strip movement within said chamber at least once to provide within the chamber a multiplicity of passes of the strip while in its vertical disposition, treating the strip within the chamber, and conducting the strip out of the spray chamber for subse- 'quent treatment and storage. For convenience it is desirable in many applications to re-lay the strip to the horizontal disposition there-of before conducting the strip through strip handling rolls to cutting and recoiling apparatus or the like. In other arrangements of the invention the strip is preheated before being conducted to the treatment chamber, the treating agent is a pickling agent which ispreheated before being fed into the chamber, and the strip is rinsed and dried at the exit end of the tortuous strip path through the chamber. In still other arrangements of the invention the path of strip movement is reversed or otherwise guided before or after rinsing and drying the strip for purposes of doubling the strip handling line or apparatus back on itself to minimize floor area or to maintain the treatment chamber in a building separate from the remainder of the strip handling apparatus. In furtherance of the latter purpose it is considered that the strip can be guided while in its vertical disposition both before and after leaving the treatment chamber. In a more specific example of the invention a metallic strip material is continuously pickled or descaled by spraying both sides of each strip pass within the treatment chamber with a suitable pickling agent.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be elaborated upon during the forthcoming description of certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention, together with presently preferred methods of practicing the same. In the accompanying drawings, there have been illustrated certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention and certain presently preferred methods of practicing the same, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of one arrangement of novel strip handling apparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the treatment chamber illustrated in the preceding figures and taken along reference line IIIIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of another arrangement of strip handling apparatus as taught by the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of still another arrangement of strip handling apparatus illustrating a novel arrangement for turning or guiding the strip in order to position the treatment chamber outside of the housing structure employed for the remainder of the strip handling apparatus.

Referring now to FIGURES 1-3 of the drawings, the exemplary form and application of the invention as illustrated therein comprises strip handling apparatus arranged here as a generally elongated pickling line having mounted at its ends respectively a payout or raw coil of metal strip 12 and a receiving coil 14 of the pickled strip.

The strip coils 12 and 14 are mounted respectively upon apparatus, designated generally at 16 and 18 respectively, for supporting and rotating the coils 12 and 14. Leaving the payout coil 12 in the direction of strip travel as denoted by arrow 20 strip 22 is conducted in the normal or horizontal disposition thereof through conventional pinch rolls 24 and a number of respectively offset straightener rolls 26 to welding apparatus indicated generally by reference numeral 28. From the welding apparatus 28 the strip 22 is conducted through loop control apparatus including in this example two pair of offset loop control rolls 30 and 32 as better shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. It will be understood of course that either or both of the straightener or loop control rolls 26 or 30, 32 or both can be eliminated from the pickling line where not required. 7

In the present arrangement the strip 22 after leaving the lower loop control roll 32 passes upwardly over twist control roll 34 upon leaving which the strip 22 is upended or twisted through a vertical angle of about by a pair of vertically disposed pinch rolls 36. The length of the twisted portion 38 of the strip 22 will be varied of course according to the thicknessand width of the strip. In furtherance of this purpose, the pinch rolls 26 are each mounted at their ends respectively upon a pair of Spaced mounting plates and supporting standards 41 therefor with each plate 40 being supported above or below the lateral edges of the up-ended strip. In this example each plate 40 is provided with a row of adjustment apertures 42 with each row thereof extending parallel to the path of strip movement such that the pair of pinch rolls 36 can be moved closer or farther away from the twist roll 34 along the path of strip movement.

Leaving the vertical pinch rolls 36 the strip 22 is then conducted through strip preheater 44 and thence into a spray chamber or tank 46. To provide an entry port for the vertically disposed strip 22 the entrance end of the tank 46 is provided with a vertically extended slit 48 as better shown at the broken away portion of FIGURE 1. Within the spray tank 46 the strip is conducted in a serpentine path through a plurality of passes 50, with five such passes being employed in this arrangement of the invention. It will be appreciated, however, that a greater or lesser number of such passes can be utilized. Desirably the serpentine configuration of the strip 22 in its vertical disposition extends substantially across the length and breadth of the chamber 46, as shown in the drawings. The passes 50 of the strip are defined by pairs of tranversely offset rolls 52 and 54 mounted for rotation about vertical axes at the ends respectively of the tank 46.

With this arrangement the passes 50 of the strip are disposed in a generally parallel array within the spray tank 46 and alternate respectively with similiarly arranged rows of spray pipes 52. Each of the spray pipes 52, in this example, is supported in vertical position and thus extends transversely across the width of the strip 22, as better shown in FIGURE 2. The spray pipes 52 adjacent the faces of the strip 22 are provided with spray means for directing a fluid pickling agent against the adjacent surfaces of the strip passes '50. In this arrangement the outermost rows of spray pipes 52a and 52b are each provided with a single longitudinally extending row of spray jets or nozzles 56 while the intermediate rows 52 of spray pipes are each provided with a pair of diametrically opposed rows of such jets for spraying simultaneously a pair of adjacent passes 50.

For supplying pickling agent to the spray pipes 52 a branched conduit system 58, including in this example a transversely extending supply manifold 60, which is disposed adjacent the exit end of the tank 46 and to which pickling agent is supplied through conduit 62. A plurality of longitudinal extending headers 64 are supported over and generally between adjacent strip passes 50, with the outermost headers being disposed over and outwardly of the first and final strip passes. Each of the headers 64 is coupled in communication with the spray adjacent row of pipes 52, 52a and 52b respectively. In this arrangement of the invention, the branched conduit system 58 is supported adjacent the top edges of the vertical walls forming the spray tank 46 by means of supporting structure including a pair of transversely extending I-bcams 65 welded or otherwise secured to the side Walls of the tank and supported each of the longitudinal headers 64 adjacent their ends respectively. With the exception of the supply conduit 62, the branched conduit system lies with the horizontal confines of the tank 46 so that an appropriately shaped cover (not shown) can be fitted over the top of the tank to minimize the quantity of fumes escaping therefrom during operation A of the pickling apparatus.

At the terminus of the last pass 50 of the strip 22 through the spray tank 46, a pair of guiding pinch rolls 66 are disposed in operative engagement with the strip 22 adjacent exit slit 68 in the end wall of the tank. Adjacent the exit slit 68 and the tank end wall, a cold-water rinse unit 70 and hot-water rinse unit 72 are positioned for removing any residue of pickling agent adhering to the strip. From the cold and hot-water rinse units 70 and 72 the strip passes through a drying unit 74 of conventional construction, as are the cold and hot-water rinse 70, 72. Exiting from the dryer 74 the strip passes through a pair of vertical pinch rolls 76, which desirably are adjustably mounted in the same manner as are the entry pinch rolls 36 described above.

Following the pinch rolls 76 the strip 22 in this example is again twisted and re-laid to a horizontal disposition, as denoted by reference character 78, by twist control roll 80 after which is passes through loop controlling and tensioning rolls 82. In other applications of the invention the strip 22 can be left in its vertical disposition for recolling on coil means (not shown) mounted for rotation about a vertical axis. From the last roll of the loop control roll system 82 the strip 22 passes between pinch rolls 84 and thence to a shear illustrated schematically at 86. Thence the strip is fed to a conventional side trimmer 88 after which it is wound upon the storage coil 14.

Referring now to FIGURE 4 of the drawings another modification of the strip handling apparatus of the invention is illustrated wherein similar reference characters with primed accents denote similar components of FIG URES 1-3 of the drawings. For purposes of clarity and brevity the spray apparatus 52-64 is omitted from FIG- URE 4 and also from subsequently described FIGURE 5. In the latter arrangement of the invention at the end of 12 the final pass 50a, the strip is turned, in this example at right angles to the original path of strip movement, about the exit pinch rolls 66' for passage through the adjacent side wall of the tank 46 at slit 68' therein. The strip 22 then enters cold rinse unit 70 where it rs turned through a further angle of about 90 by pinch rolls 8 8 positioned therein. From the cold-rinse unit the strip s conducted through hot-rinse unit 72' and pinch rolls 90 in the latter unit and thence to the dryer 74. Leaving the dryer 74 the strip then moves in a path generally parallel to the initial path of the strip to the vertical pinch rolls 76 and subsequent strip handling apparatus such as that described in connection with FIGURES 1-3 of the drawings. In this arrangment of the invention, it will be seen that the strip 22 when leaving the elongated spray tank 46 is guided and doubled back along its initial path while in its vertical disposition, to shorten considerably the overall length of the pickling line With reference now to FIGURE 5 of the drawings, another modification of the pickling apparatus of the invention is disclosed, with similar component parts thereof being identified with similar reference characters having doubly primed accents. In the latter arrangement of the invention, the strip 22" after twisting by rolls 34 and 36" is turned at the latter rolls for passage through pinch rolls 92 for entry into spray chamber 46" in the manner described above. In the latter arrangement of the spray tank 46", however, an additional pass 50" is provided with the addition of a fifth vertical pass roll 54a". This arrangement permits the strip 22" to exit through vertical exit slot 94 at the entry end of the spray tank 46".

Leaving the spray chamber 46" the strip 22 is conducted through cold and hot-water rinse units 70" and 72" and thence through dryer unit 74" to vertical pinch rolls 76" where the strip is again turned prior to re-laying to the horizontal disposition thereof as denoted by reference character 78". The arrangement of the pickling line as illustrated in FIGURE 5 not only permits the terminal end portion of the pickling line to be doubled back or arranged generally parallel to the preliminary end portion of the pickling line as set forth in FIGURE 4 of the drawings but also permits the strip preheater 44", the spray tank 46" and desirably the cold and hot-water rinse units 70", 72" to be housed in a separate building structure therefor as indicated by chain outline 96. Thus, the last mentioned units can be housed in a structure 96 separate from the building in which the other components of the pickling line are housed as denoted by chain outline 98. As a result the fumes emitted from the pickling agent or acid used in the spray tank 46" can be more easily and effectively handled by ventiliation equipment (not shown) contained within the spray tank building 96 without contaminating the atmosphere within the structure 98 housing the remainder of the pickling line apparatus. As a result the operation of the pickling line is rendered less hazardous to operating and maintenance personnel. It will be apparent, of course, that turning of the strip before and after the spray chamber can be eliminated in those applications wherein it is desirable to locate the chamber 46 with its long axis generally parallel to the initial and final paths of the strip 22" through the apparatus.

In the operation of the invention, with reference primarily to FIGURES 1-3 of the drawings, the strip 22 is initially conducted along a horizontal path with the face of the strip substantially in a horizontal plane until the strip passes over the twisting roll 34. The strip is then twisted so that its face lies in a vertical plane passing through the following portion of the strip path and, while so disposed, is conducted along a tortuous horizontal path through the spray tank 46, with the path through the spray tank being in this example, of serpentine configuration so as to expose a relatively large area of the strip to the pickling agent. However, before the strip enters the tank 46 it is preheated in this example to a temperature of about 200 within the strip preheater 44 in order preliminarily to loosen or soften the scale adhering to the strip so as to accelerate attack of the scale by the pickling acid.

Within the pickling tank 46 both sides of the strip are sprayed simultaneously with a pickling agent such as one of the aforementioned acids, which desirably has also been preheated by suitable means (not shown) to about the same temperature, i.e., 200 F. The strip 22 is not at any time immersed within the pickling agent which can be collected in the bottom portion of the tank 46 as denoted by reference character 100 from which the pickling agent can be continuously or intermittently drained through drain conduit 102. To facilitate draining, the bottom wall of the tank 46 can be sloped as denoted by reference characters 104, as are the bottom walls 106 and 108 of the cold and hot-rinse tanks 70 and 72 respectively.

Within the rinse tanks 70, 72 the strip 22 can be sprayed with cold and hot water respectively through the provision of suitable spray apparatus (not shown), for example by the provision of one or more spray pipes similar to the spray pipes 52 of the spray tank 46 on each side of the strip 22.

After drying the strip in the drying unit 74 the strip is then re-laid for passage with its plane in horizontal disposition through the terminal portion of the pickling line.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that novel and efficient forms of strip handling apparatus and of methods for pickling and otherwise handling strip material have been disclosed herein. While there have been shown and described certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention together with certain presently preferred methods of practicing the same it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be oherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for handling strip material, the combination comprising uncoiling and coiling means for said strip, means for mounting said uncoiling and said coilng means at spaced locations and in a horizontal disposition of said strip, means for conducting said strip from and to said uncoiling and said coiling means respectively in a horizontal disposition along a generally horizontal path, a strip treatment chamber structure disposed generally in said horizontal path, said chamber structure having vertical entrance and exit slots shaped for closely receiving said strip, means disposed between said uncoiling means and said chamber for twisting said strip to a vertical disposition thereof so that the face of said strip lies in a substantially vertical plane in said strip path for passage .through said entrance and exist slots, means disposed between said chamber and said coiling means for relaying said strip to the horizontal disposition thereof for passage to said strip coiling means, means for conducting said strip within said chamber along a serpentine path in said vertical disposition thereof through said chamber structure, said serpentine path extending substantially across the length and breadth of said chamber so that a considerably increased area of said strip material is exposed within said chamber structure at a given instant, spray mechanism mounted Within said chamber structure and extending along said serpentine path for spraying strip treatment fluid on both faces of said stri material substantially along the entire length of said serpentine path, and a collecting compartment in the bottom area of said chamber structure for collecting said strip treatment fluid, said collecting compartment being disposed below said spray mechanism.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein strip preheating means are mounted for passage of said strip material therethrough, said preheating means being mounted between said strip twisting means and strip entrance means of said chamber structure.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein rinsing'and drying chamber means are mounted for passage of said strip material therethrough, said rinsing and drying chamber means being mounted between said chamber structure and said strip relaying means.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein vertically disposed strip guiding means are mounted adjacent said chamber exist slot for guiding said strip material for movement in reversed direction through a generally parallel path relative to the chamber approach portion of said horizontal path.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein rinsing and drying means are mounted adjacent said chamber structure exist slot, and there are provided strip guiding means including first vertically disposed roll means disposed in said treatment chamber structure for turning said strip into said rinsing and drying means and second vertically disposed roll means in said rinsing and drying means for returning said strip in its vertical disposition to said horizontal path.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said chamber structure is elongated and said entrance and exist slots are formed in one end thereof, and said strip uncoiling and coiling means thereby are mounted adjacent to one another and to said one chamber structure end to conserve floor space.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein vertically disposed strip turning means are mounted without said chamber and adjacent each of said exist and entrance chamber openings for turning said strip material in the vertical disposition thereof so that said strip uncoiling and coiling means can be arranged along generally parallel strip paths at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said chamber structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,392,780 10/1921 Marsh et al. 134-15 XR 1,671,810 5/1928 Caughey 134-122 XR 1,718,063 6/1929 Naugle et a1. 134-64 2,037,421 4/1936 Littler 134-9 2,135,713 11/1938 Higgins 134-64 XR 2,235,978 3/1941 Braucher 118-325 XR 2,653,115 9/1953 Drews et al. 134-9 2,710,591 6/1955 Mears 118-325 XR 3,146,782 9/1964 Ruthner 134-122 FOREIGN PATENTS 130,762 10/1959 U.S.S.R.

1,282,460 12/1961 France.

MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner J. T. ZATARGA, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

